Automatic stop for talking-machines.



LE ROY ARMITAGE.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR TALKING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. H. 1916.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917. A

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES l Lafia A/ w F 8y A TTORNEYS LE ROY ARMITAGE.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR TALKING MACHIN ES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-14.1916.

' 1,239,335; I PatentedSept. 4,1917. I

2 SHEETS-SHET 2.

rlllllrlll WITNESSES INVENTOR L6/90J/4972 .4 TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY ABMITAGE, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept'. 4, 1917.

Application filed December 14, 1916. Serial No. 136,987.

Another object in view is to provide a I simple, effective mechanism for use in electrically driven talking machines whereby the power is shut ofi' as soon as the playing of the record has been completed.

A still further object in view is to provide a mechanism having a pair of contact arms, one of which is operated by the tone arm of the machine and the other by the driving mechanism, whereby when the tone arm stops its swinging movement the contact carried thereby will become stationary so that the other contact driven by the motor may become engaged therewith.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a talking machine, certain parts being broken away for better illustrating the construction.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view through Fig. 1 on line 2'2, the same being on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through part of the operating mechanism, the same being taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is an end view showing a switching mechanism embodying certain features of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a casing of any desired kind provided with a top 2 on which the usual turn table 3 is mounted, said turn table receiving the record 4. The turn table 3 is connected with shaft 5 bywhich it is rotated, said shaft carrying a beveled gear 6 meshing with beveled gear 7. The beveled gear 7 is connected with shaft 8, which shaft in turn is connected with the electric motor 9 through any suitable means, as for instance, a pair of beveled gears. Motor 9 is operated by current from a suitable source 10, said current passing from the source 10 through the wire 11,'bracket 17 supporting one end of shaft 12, through shaft 12, and" from thence to contact bar 13, spring 14 and wire 15 to binding post 49 of the motor.

After the current has passed through the motor it passes out wire 50 to the return wire 51 and from thence back to the source of current 10. The return wire51 extends to the binding post 52 of the magnet 53 so that current entering the winding of magnet 53 may freely pass back to the source of power, the particular circuit for supplying magnet 53 being hereinafter fully described.

It will be noted that the contact bar 13 and spring member 14 form part of the circuit for motor 9 whereby when the parts are p in the position shown in Fig. 4 the motor may freely operate and when moved therefrom said motor will'be deprived of current. The bar 13 and associated parts, and also the arm 54, form switches for turning on and off the current as may be desired, the

action of these members being automatic during the swinging movement of the tone arm 26. A detail description of these members and associated parts will be made after a description of the action of tone arm 26 and mechanism thereof has been made in" order that a better understanding of how the tone arm, by its actions, controls the supply of current to the motor and to the magnet 53 which acts with certain other members as a cut-out for the motor circuit.

The tone arm 26 is mounted on top 2 in the usual way so as to freely swing back and forth as may be desired. When the parts are set for playing a record the tone arm may be in what is termed an outer position and gradually swung inwardly to what may be termed an inner position. When the tone arm is in the inner position the needle will be in the circular groove near the center of the record and will, consequently, prevent the tone arm from any further swinging movement, thus causing the shaft 27 connected therewith to remain stationary. It wil be noted that the shaft 27 has a back and forth swinging movement equal to the swinging movement of the arm 26, and the shaft 27 is connected firmly to the arm 26 and also to a gear wheel 28 whereby gear wheel 28 is given exactly the same rotary pinion 29 the same is caused to rotate to a greater extent than the gear wheel 28. lhe pinion 29 is rigidly connected with shaft 30 to which a comparatively large gear wheel 31 is secured. Gear wheel 31 meshes with pinion 32 rigidly secured to shaft 33. Shaft is journaled in part of the framework and rotates an insulating block 35 which supports the ring 37. Brush 36 at one end is conn cted with the binding post 23 but is insulated from the frame 34; also the binding post 23 is insulated from the frame 34. I

At the opposite end to the binding post 23 the brush 36 contacts with a metallic ring 37 to which an arm 38 is connected, said arm carrying a contact 39. Contact 39 is normally spaced from the contact 42 carried by arm 41, which arm is rigidly secured to the collar 44 which rests on gear 43. An auxiliary arm 41 is connected with arm 41 and carries a stop formed of insulating material against which the arm 38 normally rests during the operation of the machine. The worm gear 43 carries a sleeve 44 loosely mounted on the standard 45. The worm gear 43 is driven by a worm 46, which worm is connected with a gear wheel 47, said gear wheel meshing with gear wheel 48. Gear wheel48 is connected with the motor 9 in any suitable way, as for instance, by being secured to the shaft of the armature, shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement of gears and worms the arm 41 will rotate at a speed proportionate to the speed of the turn table 3 and. consequently, at a speed proportionate to the swinging movement of arm 26. The parts are formed of such a size that though the speed is proportionate as just described the movement of arm 41 will be slightly slower than the movement of arm 38 so that the contacts 39and 42 will be maintained out of engagement until the tone arm 26 ceases to swing toward the center, whereupon the arm 41 will catch up to arm 38 and the contacts 39 and 42 will be engaged. llhen this occurs current will flow from battery 10 through the circuit connected thereto, said circuit including the binding posts 23 and 25, the ground, the brush 343, the slip ring 37 and arms 38 and 41. It is to be noted that arm 38 moves faster than arm 41 the collar 44 will slip to a certain extent on the sleeve 44, said sleeve being rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the gear wheel 43. When the tone arm is brought. back to its starting position the collar 44 may slip properly until both arms 38 and 41, as well as arm 41', are substantially properly located. Preferably the tone arm is brought back farther than necessary in order that upon moving again toward the center the arms 38 and 41 will be separated and also the switching mechanism shown in Fig. 4 will be properly operated, whereby the current to the motor 9 will be switched on and the current to the cut-out magnet 58 will be switched off.

When the contacts 39 and 42 are in engagement (Fig. 2) current will flow for operating the magnet 53 which shuts off the power from motor 9. The circuit ior accomplishing this purpose includes wire 51 which extends to contact 52, winding for magnet wire 55, contact arm 54, contact block 57, wire 58 to binding post 23, brush 36, contact ring 37, contact arm 38, contact 89, contact 42, contact arm 41, collar 44 to the ground and from thenceto the binding post and wire 11 back to the battery 10. Current flowing in this path. will energize the magnet 53 and will cause the same to attract the armature 59 (Fig. 4) normally held against the catch 60 by spring 61. Catch 60 is connected in any suitable manner with the shaft 12 and rotates therewith whereby when the armature is attracted away irom catch the-catch will move part of a revolution underthe action of spring 62 which rotates the shaft 12 until the contact bar 13 is moved out of contact with the spring or brush 14. In fact, the movement of the catch (50, insulating block (33 and shaft 12 will continue until the lug or projection (34 strikes against the insulating sleeve 65 on the post 66. As soon as the contact bar 13 moves out of contact with the brush or spring 14 current is switched oil of the motor 9, as this contact bar'is part of the circuit of the motor.

All of the power being turned ofl as just described the parts are in position ready for the tone arm 26 to be moved back to its starting point. When the tone arm has been moved back to its starting point or a short distance therebeyond, current will be automatically turned, on to the motor 9 and the circuit'of the magnet 53 will be opened so that the motor may drive the propcrmechanism for rotating the record until the record has been finished whereupon the circuit of the magnet 53 will be again closed. In moving the tone arm 26 back to a startin point or slightly beyond a starting point, the shaft 27 is moved for part of a revolution for operating gear 28 and associated parts and also for operating the arm (37 which carries an insulating sleeve 68, said sleeve striking the projection (34 and the arm 54 so that both of those members will be swung on their pivots. The swinging of the projcc tion (34 will cause the insulating block 63 and associated parts to be swung until catch 60 is engaged by the overhanging portion of the armature 59. whereby those parts will become automatically locked and prevent a return movement of the catch, shaft 12 and associated par-ts. A movement of this kind.

sprin or brush 14 whereu on current wil is u p v P messes be turned on to the motor 9-and the mecha-.

nism for rotating the turn table 3 will be set in motion. 4

As arm 54 is swung outwardly away from the contact bar 57 against the action of spring 69 the circuit of the magnet 53 will be opened and maintained open until the arm 67 connected with the shaft 27 is moved back a short distance, whereupon the circuit of the magnet 53 will be closed at this point but opened between the contacts 39 and 42, as shown in Fig. 2. A swinging movement from the center of the disk to the starting point will cause the contact arm 38 and associated parts to rotate the contact arm 41 and the collar 44, said collar slipping on the sleeve 44. As soon as the tone arm 26 has been moved to its extreme outer position and then back to the first groove of the record, the contact arm 38 will be moved away from contact arm 41 during such backward movement to the first groove. As the gearing connected with shaft 27 is such as to move the arm 38 slightly faster than arm 41 is moved by the motor 9, these contacts will be maintained out of engagement until the tone arm 26 ceases to swing, whereupon arm 41 will catch up with arm 38 and the contacts 39 and 42 will become engaged, whereupon the magnet 53 will be supplied with current and the armature 59 will be pulled over for releasing the catch 60, thus allowing springs 62 to break the circuits of both the magnet 53 and motor 9 by shifting the position of the contact bar 13 out of engagement with the brush 14. By this construction and arrangement the current will be automatically shut ofl from the motor and also the cut-off magnet 53 when the rec- 0rd has been completely played. Also the parts are so formed as to automatically turn on the current when the tone arm has been moved to the position which allows the armature 59 to engage the catch 60.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a talking machine provided with 'a swinging tone arm, a rotating record table and means for driving thetable, said means including an electric motor, of a circuit for said motor provided with switching means, a rotatable arm connected with said motor and rotated thereby, a second rotatable arm arranged adjacent the first mentioned arm, an auxiliary circuit connected to said arm whereby when said arms are in contact said circuit will be closed, a magnet arranger, in said auxiliary circuit,

-means operated by the magnet for opening said switching means when the magnet is energized, a train of gears connected with said second mentioned arm, and means for connecting one of the gears of said train to the swinging tone arm of the talking machine whereby the tone arm swings said portion of the gears in said train of gears being such as to cause said second mentioned arm to rotate slightly faster than the first mentioned arm whereby said ry circuit will be maintained open ant-i1 the tone arm ceases to swing 2, In a device of the-character described, the combination with a talking machi e having a swinging tone arm, of an electric motor for driving the moving parts of the talking machine, a switch arranged in the circuit of said electric motor, an auxiliary circuit provided with means for opening said switch when the auxiliary circuit is closed, and means operable by the tone arm for maintaining said auxiliary circuit open until the tone arm has finished its inward travel during the playing of the record.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a talking machine provided with a swinging arm, of electric means for driving the same, and means operated by said arm for shutting 0d the power from said driving means, said last mentioned means comprising a rod connected with the swinging arm, a train of gears connected with said rod, a shaft rotated by said train of gears, an insulated sleeve carried by said shaft and rotated thereby, an arm carried by said sleeve, asecond arm rotated by the mo tor used in driving the talking machine, the arrangement of said train of gears be such as to rotate the arm connected with insulated sleeve faster than the second mentioned arm, an electrical circuit connected with the motor for driving the talking machine, a switch arranged in-said circuit, auxiliary circuit connected with said insulated sleeve and with said second mentioned arm whereby when said arms come into con tact said second mentioned circuit will be closed, and a magnet energized by current in said second mentioned circuit, said magnet being connected with said switch and an ranged to open the switch when energized.

4. In a device of the character described, the. combination with a talking machine having a swinging arm and an electric mote; for driving the machine, said motor being provided with a circuit having switch interposed therein, a contact arm rotated by said motor, a second contact arm, means for connecting said second contact arm with said i swinging arm, said means including a train. of multiple gears formed so as to cause the second mentioned arm to more slightly 5. In an electrically driven talking machine provided with a tone arm, an electric motor for driving the machine, a rotatable arm. operated by said motor, a second rota table arm, means for connecting the second rotatable arm With the tone arm, said means being such that the movement of the tone arm from a starting to a finishing position will rotate said second mentioned arm slightly faster than the first mentioned arm, a circuit for said motor, an auxiliary circuit including a magnet and said arins, and means for opening both of said circuits when said magnet is energized.

,6. In an electrically driven talking ma chine provided With a tone arm, an electric motor for driving said talking machine, a circuit for said electric motor, means operated by the tone arm when moved to an inner position for opening said circuit, and means operated by the tone arm when moved to an outer position for automatically closing said circuit. i

1,2se,eee

7. In an electrically driven talking machine provided with a tone arm, a motor for operating said talking machine, a circuit for said motor, said circuit including a switching mechanism formed with a stationary brush and a rockahle contact bar, a second circuit including a magnet and a pair of contact arms,means for connecting one of said arms Withsaid motor whereby the same is rotated, means for connecting the other arm with. said tone arm, said means including a train of multiple gear of such proportion as to cause the last mentioned arm to rotate slightly faster than the first men tioned arm, a catch for normally holding said contact bar in a position for maintaining the motor circuit closed, an armature operated by said magnet for releasing the catch, and means for moving said contact bar out of engagement with its coacting brush when said catch is released.

LE ROY ARMITAGE. 

